Mechanical movement for toy figures and so forth



May 16, 1939. H. s. HYDE MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR TOY FIGURES AND SO FORTH Filed Aug. 28, 1936 INVENTOR HERMANdM OE BY W ATTORNEYS Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR TOY FIG- URES AND SO FORTH Herman S. Hyde, Deerfield, Mass.

Application August 28, 1936, Serial No. 98,351

6 Claims.

An object of this invention is to provide a mechanical movement which will enable certain parts of mechanical toys or other devices to move in a life-like manner and to simulate the motions of the various animals, birds, etc., upon the energizing of a suitable motor such as a spring motor employed in connection with mechanical toys.

The special object of my invention is to produce simultaneously several varied motions of the parts that are driven by the motor, so that the device is much simplified and without complicated gears, cams, or other usual mechanical devices.

For a detailed description of one example of my invention which I have found to be useful. reference may be had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of the outline of an animal with a part of the head member removed and having my improved mechanical movement and motor applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I indicates the outline of the body of the preferred animal, in this case similar to that of an alligator or crocodile. The numeral 2 indicates a casing carried in a recess within the body of the animal and containing a spring motor, the spring of which is indicated by the numeral 3. The spring motor is arranged in any usual well-known manner to operate a vertical shaft 4 having a crank-arm 5 thereon. The crank-arm 5 also carries a vertical end 6 which is substantially parallel to the shaft 4, and in view of the rotation of the latter, said end 6 travels substantially in a circular path around said shaft.

Said end portion 6 of the crank arm 5 is slidably connected with a small block or shoe I and said block has a transverse opening therein within which is carried a small shaft or wire 8 which is pivoted at each end as at 9 and 9'. ing from the pivot or bearing 9 is a small flexible piece of wire it that is bent permanently in the shape of an arc or curve as indicated in the right hand of Fig. l. Said wire passes through approximately the central portion of several articulated parts iii of the animal, in this case each of said parts being somewhat reduced in Extendsize, so that the various parts simulate the tail of an alligator or crocodile. Each of said parts has ends that are preferably of V-shape and fit successively into each other with slight space for motion between the parts so that the curvature of the whole tail or similar part of the animal may be produced at each sidewise movement without binding or other frictional retardation of the motions of said parts thereof. The V- shaped joints prevent but little up and down motion of the tail.

The Wire Ill terminates in a small bead or loop, as indicated at H, through which the wire may pass and be turned back, as indicated at I2. The part of the wire 8 which extends forward isextended through the neck of the animal and terminates in a small crank-arm, as indicated at I3. Said extension 8 is also bent slightly in an arc shape and out of its axial line, as indicated at I4. Said curved or arc-shaped portion of the wire 8' extends through the head and neck of the animal and passes through a small perforated ball or bead I5 from which the crank-arm I3 extends.

The upper jaw I6 of the animal is provided with a small wire contact member I6, the ends of which enter the material of which the head is formed, and when the crank-arm I3 is in its highest position during this semi-circular motion, the end of said arm engages said wire it and consequently raises the upper jaw of the animal to an elevated position, so that the appearance of an open mouth is produced. This is indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The upper jaw I6 is pivoted in any preferred manner to the neck portion such as by a small pivot or hinge I'I so that it will be drawn downward by the force of gravity and the whole head is pivoted so that it will oscillate horizontally by being pivoted on a pin I8.

The motor within the casing 2 may be wound up by a slightly projecting square pin and key, as indicated at the projection I9.

In the operation of this device, the motor having been wound up by the key as last described, the crank-arm 5 and 6 will obviously rotate in a circular path, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. That will cause the longitudinal portion 8 of the wire operating device to oscillate over the axial bearings 9- and 9 and will cause the perforated block I to slide thereon and up and down on the end 6 of the crank-arm 5. That motion will throw the tail portion which contains the wire ID to the right and left, according to the position of the operating wire or rod 8 on each side of its central position. The wire l0, being slightly bent in the shape of an arc, will cause the tail to lie in two opposite positions on a flat board or table and in other positions it will rise slightly above said board or table to give a flapping action, but not to any considerable height or altitude because of the joints and the weight of said tail portion.

Said oscillatory movement of the wire or operating part 8 will cause the bent portion M of the forward extension 8' of the wire to have an oscillatory motion similar to that of the tail portion,

while at the same time the small crank-arm I3 will move to opposite positions, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. In intermediate positions said crank-arm will engage the wire l6 and raise the upper jaw IB of the animal, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that it will give a snapping or opening and closing action of said jaw.

The two motions above described will take place simultaneously, and the tail of the animal, as well as his head, will move from side to side when placed on a. flat surface with a life-like motion, and on account of the small crank-arm I3 within the head of the animal, the upper jaw or mandible will, simultaneously with the oscillatory motion of the head, be raised and lowered to give the appearance above referred to.

I have illustrated the use of my improved mechanical movement as applied to the outline of an alligator or crocodile, but it is to be understood that such mechanical movement may be applied to other forms of animals or flexible objects without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described this form of my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is- 1. A mechanical movement for a toy or other devices comprising, a central shaft having an arcuate or laterally bent resilient end portion terminating in a crank, a member pivoted adjacent said crank-arm, a second member pivoted on said first member, and a cam-like device on said second member adapted to engage said crank and be vertically displaced thereby when said shaft is oscillated to move said first member from side to side.

2. A mechanical movement for a toy or other devices comprising, an oscillatory shaft having a resilient end portion normally bent laterally or of arcuate form and having an angular end forming a crank-arm, a pivoted member within which said crank-arm is located, and having a pivoted upper portion adjacent the end of said crank-arm, whereby on oscillation of said shaft said upper portion is caused to move up and down under the force of gravity and the movement of said crank and said pivoted member is caused to move from side to side.

3. A mechanical movement for a toy or other devices comprising, an oscillatory shaft having a resilient end portion normally bent laterally or of arcuate form and having an angular end forming a crank-arm, a pivoted member within which said crank-arrn is located, a hinged part carried by said pivoted member and having a cam-like contacting element adjacent the end of said crank-arm, whereby on oscillation of said shaft said hinged part is caused to move away from and toward said pivoted member and said bent portion of said shaft causes said pivoted member to move from side to side.

4. A mechanical movement for a toy or other devices comprising, a central shaft having arcuate or laterally bent resilient ends, an intermediate portion forming an offset crank member, a slidable block engaging said member, a rotary crank-arm loosely engaging said block which is adapted to slide thereon, and mechanical means for rotating said crank arm.

5. In a toy having a body with jointed head and tail members, a central shaft having freely resilient laterally bent ends, said tail member having articulations or joints between the parts thereof. said joints comprising loosely interfitting V-shaped ends, said central shaft passing through openings in said articulated parts and through the apices of said V-shaped joints, the opposite resilient end of said shaft having a doubly bent portion forming a crank, a head member movable horizontally adjacent said crank, a part vertically movable on said head member, and a cam-like device on said part that is adapted to be engaged by said crank and be vertically displaced thereby when said shaft is oscillated to vibrate said head member from side to side.

6. A mechanical movement for a toy or other devices, comprising, a substantially horizontal oscillatory shaft having a doubly bent angular end forming an oscillatory terminal crank, a pivoted member located above the same and that is caused to oscillate up and down under the action of the force of gravity and by the motion of said crank upon which a portion of said member rests, and means for oscillating said shaft.

HERMAN S. HYDE. 

